About 30 people were set to become naturalized U.S. citizens over the weekend in Carteret, New Jersey, but the ceremony had to be moved after Carteret Mayor Daniel Reiman (below) insisted that the event had to include a religious prayer:

Reiman said yesterday that although he assured officials from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that the prayer would be nondenominational, the agency declined to allow the prayer.

“They refused to budge on that,” Reiman said this evening.

…

“I told them (employees of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) they’re no longer allowed to use city hall,” he said.

A spokesperson for the CIS told the Associated Press that the ceremonies are designed to be as inclusive as possible which is why they don’t include prayers.

A town in Minnesota may have escaped another Columbine High School-like massacre. When student John LaDue was (thankfully) arrested a couple of weeks ago, he confessed to a plan that would have killed his parents and sister and many, many students and staff members at his high school.

If convicted of one count of first-degree attempted murder as an adult, he could serve up to 18 years, according to state guidelines. If convicted as a juvenile, however, he could be released from detention when he turns 21.

The teenager told police that he had an SKS assault rifle with 400 rounds of ammunition, a 9mm handgun with ammo and a gun safe with more firearms, all in his bedroom at home.

Authorities found seven firearms and three completed bombs there. Another three bombs, along with chemicals and other materials, were found in the storage unit. He also had 60 pounds of metal ball bearings.